# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Insect-Plant Interactions and Control Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/insect-plant-interactions-and-control/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Insect-Plant Interactions and Control research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 highlights a shift toward uncovering specialized biochemical interactions and ecological dynamics, with topics like secondary metabolites and range expansion rising sharply. Concurrently, traditional focuses on general insecticide resistance and basic jasmonate pathways have slightly declined, reflecting a pivot toward nuanced biological control and targeted molecular interventions.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Insect-Plant Interactions and Control |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 7,020 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Insecticide resistance, jasmonate signaling, jasmonates, detoxification, RNA interference |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 23–98 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Pervasive sublethal effects of agrochemicals on insects at environmentally relevant concentrations | Lautaro Gandara, Richard Jacoby, François Laurent, Matteo Spatuzzi, Nikolaos Vlachopoulos, Noa O Borst, Gülina Ekmen, Clement M Potel, Martin Garrido-Rodriguez, Antonia L Böhmert, Natalia Misunou, Bartosz J Bartmanski, Xueying C Li, Dominik Kutra, Jean-Karim Hériché, Christian Tischer, Maria Zimmermann-Kogadeeva, Victoria A Ingham, Mikhail M Savitski, Jean-Baptiste Masson, Michael Zimmermann, Justin Crocker | Lautaro Gándara, Justin Crocker | European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany | Science | 98 | 10.1126/science.ado0251 |
| 2 | Structural basis for odorant recognition of the insect odorant receptor OR-Orco heterocomplex | Yidong Wang, Liang Qiu, Bing Wang, Zeyuan Guan, Zhi Dong, Jie Zhang, Song Cao, Lulu Yang, Bo Wang, Zhou Gong, Liwei Zhang, Weihua Ma, Zhu Liu, Delin Zhang, Guirong Wang, Ping Yin | Yidong Wang, Liang Qiu, Bing Wang, Bo Wang | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China | Science | 84 | 10.1126/science.adn6881 |
| 3 | Jasmonic Acid (JA) in Plant Immune Response: Unravelling Complex Molecular Mechanisms and Networking of Defence Signalling Against Pathogens | Rajib Roychowdhury, Alkesh Hada, Sabarni Biswas, Sapna Mishra, Manas Ranjan Prusty, Soumya Prakash Das, Shatrupa Ray, Ajay Kumar, Umakanta Sarker | Rajib Roychowdhury | Agricultural Research Organization (ARO)-The Volcani Center, Israel | Journal of Plant Growth Regulation | 42 | 10.1007/s00344-024-11264-4 |
| 4 | The JA-to-ABA signaling relay promotes lignin deposition for wound healing in Arabidopsis | Huimin Xu, Chaoqun Dong, Ying Wu, Shasha Fu, Arfa Tauqeer, Xinyun Gu, Qianfang Li, Xufang Niu, Peng Liu, Xiaoyue Zhang, Chuanyou Li, Meng Li, Shuang Wu | Chuanyou Li, Meng Li, Shuang Wu | Anhui Agricultural University, China | Molecular Plant | 40 | 10.1016/j.molp.2024.09.003 |
| 5 | Gut bacteria of lepidopteran herbivores facilitate digestion of plant toxins | Nan Zhang, Zhaoyi Qian, Jintao He, Xiaoqiang Shen, Xiaoyu Lei, Chao Sun, Jie Fan, Gary W Felton, Yongqi Shao | Yongqi Shao | Zhejiang University, China | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 39 | 10.1073/pnas.2412165121 |
| 6 | Multiomic analyses reveal key sectors of jasmonate-mediated defense responses in rice | Yumeng Chen, Gaochen Jin, Mengyu Liu, Lanlan Wang, Yonggen Lou, Ian Baldwin, Ran Li | Ran Li | Zhejiang University, China | The Plant Cell | 38 | 10.1093/plcell/koae159 |
| 7 | The MYC2–PUB22–JAZ4 module plays a crucial role in jasmonate signaling in tomato | Shaofang Wu, Chaoyi Hu, Changan Zhu, Yanfen Fan, Jie Zhou, Xiaojia Xia, Kai Shi, Yanhong Zhou, Christine H Foyer, Jingquan Yu | Jingquan Yu | Zhejiang University, China | Molecular Plant | 37 | 10.1016/j.molp.2024.02.006 |
| 8 | Molecular Crosstalk of Jasmonate with Major Phytohormones and Plant Growth Regulators During Diverse Stress Responses | Santanu Samanta, Aryadeep Roychoudhury | Aryadeep Roychoudhury | St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), India | Journal of Plant Growth Regulation | 37 | 10.1007/s00344-024-11412-w |
| 9 | Nanoparticle LDH enhances RNAi efficiency of dsRNA in piercing-sucking pests by promoting dsRNA stability and transport in plants | Xiaoqin Cheng, Qi Zhou, Jiedan Xiao, Xueying Qin, Yuan Zhang, Xiaoxue Li, Weiwei Zheng, Hongyu Zhang | Weiwei Zheng, Hongyu Zhang | Huazhong Agricultural University, China | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | 34 | 10.1186/s12951-024-02819-4 |
| 10 | Pyridine Derivatives as Insecticides. Part 5. New Thieno[2,3-<i>b</i>]pyridines and Pyrazolo[3,4-<i>b</i>]pyridines Containing Mainly Ethyl Nicotinate Scaffold and Their Insecticidal Activity toward <i>Aphis gossypii</i> (Glover,1887) | Suzan Abuelhassan, Abdu E Abdel-Rahman, Mohamed A Gad, Mohamed A M Youssef, Shams H Abdel-Hafez, Etify A Bakhite | Etify A. Bakhite | Assiut University, Egypt | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | 34 | 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c03112 |
| 11 | Insufficient pollinator visitation often limits yield in crop systems worldwide | Katherine J Turo, James R Reilly, Thijs P M Fijen, Ainhoa Magrach, Rachael Winfree | Katherine J. Turo | Rutgers University, United States | Nature Ecology & Evolution | 31 | 10.1038/s41559-024-02460-2 |
| 12 | GPCR–MAPK signaling pathways underpin fitness trade-offs in whitefly | Buli Fu, Jinjin Liang, Jinyu Hu, Tianhua Du, Qimei Tan, Chao He, Xuegao Wei, Peipan Gong, Jing Yang, Shaonan Liu, Mingjiao Huang, Lianyou Gui, Kui Liu, Xuguo Zhou, Ralf Nauen, Chris Bass, Xin Yang, Youjun Zhang | Buli Fu, Jinjin Liang, Jinyu Hu, Tianhua Du, Qimei Tan, Chris Bass, Xin Yang, Youjun Zhang | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 30 | 10.1073/pnas.2402407121 |
| 13 | Differential induction of JA/SA determines plant defense against successive leaf-chewing and phloem-feeding insects | Yuxiao Liu, Wen‐Hao Han, Junxia Wang, Fengbin Zhang, Shun‐Xia Ji, Yu‐Wei Zhong, Shu‐Sheng Liu, Xiaowei Wang | Xiaowei Wang | Zhejiang University, China | Journal of Pest Science | 30 | 10.1007/s10340-024-01821-x |
| 14 | Animal‐pollinated crops and cultivars—A quantitative assessment of pollinator dependence values and evaluation of methodological approaches | Catarina Siopa, Luísa G. Carvalheiro, Helena Castro, João Loureiro, Sílvia Castro | Catarina Siopa | University of Coimbra, Portugal | Journal of Applied Ecology | 29 | 10.1111/1365-2664.14634 |
| 15 | Area-wide survey and monitoring of insecticide resistance in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), from 2020 to 2023 in China | Wen-Nan Ye, Yu Li, Yan-Chao Zhang, Zhao-Yu Liu, Xin-Yu Song, Xin-Guo Pei, Shun-Fan Wu, Cong-Fen Gao | Cong‐Fen Gao | Nanjing Agricultural University, China | Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology | 29 | 10.1016/j.pestbp.2024.106173 |
| 16 | Nanoparticle-delivered RNAi-based pesticide target screening for the rice pest white-backed planthopper and risk assessment for a natural predator | Yun-Feng Ma, Ya-Qin Zhao, Yang-Yuntao Zhou, Hong-Yan Feng, Lang-Lang Gong, Meng-Qi Zhang, J Joe Hull, Youssef Dewer, Amit Roy, Guy Smagghe, Ming He, Peng He | Guy Smagghe, Ming He, Peng He | Guizhou University, China | The Science of The Total Environment | 28 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171286 |
| 17 | Mechanistic exploration of odorant binding protein-mediated chlorpyrifos resistance in Nilaparvata lugens: Insights from insecticide sequestration and transcriptional regulation | Mengqing Deng, Xiyue Xu, Xiaodan Huang, Tianxiang Xiao, Wenxiu Wang, Jun Li, Xinyu Zhao, Bo Pan, Yingjie Jiang, Ziyu He, Zhiming Yang, Kai Lu | Kai Lǚ | Anhui Agricultural University, China | International Journal of Biological Macromolecules | 28 | 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138108 |
| 18 | Widespread establishment of adventive populations of Leptopilina japonica (Hymenoptera, Figitidae) in North America and development of a multiplex PCR assay to identify key parasitoids of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera, Drosophilidae) | Tara D. Gariépy, Paul K. Abram, Chris Adams, Dylan Beal, E. H. Beers, Jonathan Beetle, David J. Biddinger, Gabrielle Brind’Amour, Allison Bruin, Matthew L. Buffington, Hannah J. Burrack, Kent M. Daane, Kathleen Demchak, Phillip Fanning, Amber Kristen Gillett, Kelly A. Hamby, Kim A. Hoelmer, Brian N. Hogg, Rufus Isaacs, Ben Johnson, Jana C. Lee, Hannah K. Levensen, Gregory M. Loeb, Angela Lovero, Joshua M Milnes, Kyoo R. Park, Patricia Prade, Karly Regan, Justin M. Renkema, Cesar Rodriguez‐Saona, Subin Babu Neupane, Cera Jones, Ashfaq A. Sial, Peter Smythman, A. B. Stout, Steven Van Timmeren, Vaughn M. Walton, Julianna K. Wilson, Xingeng Wang | Tara D. Gariépy | Unknown, Unknown | NeoBiota | 27 | 10.3897/neobiota.93.121219 |
| 19 | Global insect herbivory and its response to climate change | Mu Liu, Peixi Jiang, Jonathan M Chase, Xiang Liu | Xiang Liu | Lanzhou University, China | Current Biology | 24 | 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.062 |
| 20 | The role of ATP-binding cassette transporters in arthropod pesticide toxicity and resistance | Dries Amezian, Ralf Nauen, Thomas Van Leeuwen | Thomas Van Leeuwen | Ghent University, Belgium | Current Opinion in Insect Science | 23 | 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101200 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

In the Class of 2026, research on insect-plant interactions and control is predominantly defined by deep molecular analyses of plant defense pathways and insect adaptation mechanisms. The most prominent topics include "Insecticide resistance" and "Jasmonate signaling," alongside "Jasmonates" and "Detoxification." This highlights a dual focus: understanding how plants utilize the jasmonate pathway—including key components like JAZ proteins and MYC2—to orchestrate defenses against herbivores, and how insects concurrently develop resistance or detoxification mechanisms to overcome these defenses or chemical controls. The strong presence of "RNA interference" indicates an active interest in advanced biotechnological strategies for pest management. Together, these topics reveal a field that is moving beyond observational ecology toward characterizing the intricate, molecular-level arms race between plants and insects, aiming to leverage these insights for more targeted, sustainable agricultural interventions.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

The transition from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a notable shift toward specialized biochemical responses and ecological applications. Topics such as "Secondary metabolites" and "Range expansion" emerged rapidly, exhibiting the largest fold-change increases. There was also a marked rise in focus on "Biological control agent," "Plant growth regulation," and "Bioactive secondary metabolites." These trends indicate that researchers are increasingly interested in exploring how specific plant-derived compounds and natural enemies can be harnessed to mitigate pest pressures, particularly as pest ranges shift due to environmental changes. Conversely, traditionally heavily studied areas like "Insecticide resistance," "Jasmonates," and "Overexpression" experienced moderate declines in relative frequency. This evolution underscores a broader trend in the field: a pivot away from cataloging general resistance phenomena and basic pathway mapping, toward investigating nuanced, context-dependent chemical interactions and developing integrated, biological control strategies suited for dynamic ecological landscapes.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Insect-Plant Interactions and Control Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/insect-plant-interactions-and-control/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
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